4/24: Bloomberg, City Schools Receive Low Grades

A majority of New York City voters may want to put Mayor Michael Bloomberg on academic probation. While 34% approve of his handling of the city’s public schools, 56% disapprove. 10% are unsure. This is Bloomberg’s lowest approval rating on this issue since March of 2011 when 27% approved of how he was addressing the issue.

“Dissatisfaction with New York City’s public schools remains high,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “New Yorkers want the next mayor to move in a different direction.”

Key points:

Bloomberg’s approval rating on education has dropped in the Bronx — 29% — and in Manhattan — 37%. In September, those proportions were 40% and 48%, respectively.

In Queens and Staten Island — 36% — and in Brooklyn — 34%, there has been little change from September when 40% and 38%, respectively, gave Bloomberg high marks on his handling of education.

Many New York City residents are not thrilled with the public schools in their neighborhoods. Only 38% of adults citywide give their local schools good grades. Included here are 9% who rate their public schools as excellent and 29% who say they are good. 35% believe they are doing a fair job while 18% rate them poorly. Nine percent are unsure. Identical proportions of registered voters in the city share these views as well.

In NY1-Marist’s September survey, 43% of those living in New York City thought well of their neighborhood schools. 30% gave them a fair rating while 18% reported they fell short. Nine percent, at the time, were unsure.

Looking at households who have a child in the New York City public schools, 45% believe the public schools are doing either an excellent — 11% — or good — 34% — job educating their children. 37% think the schools are doing an average job while 15% believe they are falling short. Two percent are unsure.

More Than Six in Ten NYC Residents Want Next Mayor to Make Changes in Education

62% of adults in New York City want the city’s next mayor to take the public schools in a different direction. 27%, however, want Bloomberg’s successor to continue with Mayor Bloomberg’s education policy, and 11% are unsure.

Key points:

Nearly two-thirds of households with a child in the New York City public schools — 65% — want the next mayor to change the direction of education policy in the city.

69% of adults in the Bronx, 65% of those in Brooklyn, 60% of residents in Queens and Staten Island, and 55% in Manhattan desire changes in public schools.

34% of adults citywide think the city’s top educator, Dennis Walcott, is doing either an excellent — 6% — or good — 28% — job as New York City Schools Chancellor. 35% rate Walcott as fair while 14% give him a poor rating. 17% are unsure or have never heard of him. In NY1-Marist’s September survey, Walcott’s approval rating was 31%. 38% thought he was doing an average job while 9% thought he missed the mark. 22%, at that time, were unsure.

As speculation continues about a mayoralty run by New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, the commissioner enjoys a 55% job approval rating. This includes 21% of adults who believe Kelly is excelling in his position and 34% who report he is doing a good job. 28% rate the Police Commissioner’s performance as fair while 13% believe he is performing poorly. Four percent are unsure.

Kelly’s approval rating is 70% among white residents, 48% among Latinos, and 42% among African American residents in the city.

The views of registered voters reflect those of the overall population in the city. 56% of voters give Kelly high marks. 28% think his performance is average while 13% say he has missed the mark. Three percent are unsure.